The Cellars
by Harmonea
Summary: 3 years after Erik's inncodent with the Opera House. A new owner of the Opera House brang his daughter, Merci. She wondered the halls when she found a secret passage way down to Erik's home. The Opera ghost finds himself falling in love with this stranger
1. Chapter 1

Merci walked down the corridor, bored as usual. Her father was the new owner of the Opera House, everyday she came here and watched the ballerinas train and the singers do their breathing exercises. People offered to give her vocal lessons, Madame Giry even asked her if she wanted to learn the dance routine, there were two problems with that. First, she _hated_ when people heard her sing, she became embarrassed even when people heard her hum. Second, Merci could not dance if her life depended on it.

So, Merci spent her days wandering the halls of the opera house trying to find hidden rooms, secret passage ways, anything exciting for that matter. So far, she had found none, but why give up? At least it's something to do. She skimmed her hand across the marble wall, feeling that marvelous texture. She had never been down this hall before, maybe this time her adventurous fantasies will come true? Merci came to the end of the hall and looked around her looked completely normal except that slight dent in a section of the wall. _Huh, _She thought, _That's strange. _She pressed her hands against the wall trying to see if she could push it aside or something. Eventually she pushed that part of the wall aside to find a stairwell down to the cellars.

She stepped inside, it smelled terrible, like rotting meat. Suddenly Merci felt something grab her shoulder, she shrieked and spun around. She found herself face to face with Madame Giry. "Don't go down there," The widow said, "It is not safe." Madame Giry led Merci to the entry hall. "Your father will be here in a minute to take you home," Madame Giry said, "Please wait here." And she left Merci to wait and wonder.

_What was down there that was so dangerous? _She thought, _It's just a cellar, the only dangerous thing would be tripping over a loose tile. _Merci thought about what things could possibly be there, but nothing came to mind.

"Merci," Her father said, "Come on now, child, get in the carriage it's time to go home."

"Father," Merci said, "What is in the basement of the Opera House?" He smiled, "The Opera Ghost of course." The old man replied "Opera Ghost?" She repeated. "Yes, people say he's a man who was born with a no nose, he has yellow eyes, he used to terrorize the Opera House about three years ago." Merci's eye's widened. "He even kiddnaped Christine Daae, you know her don't you?" She nodded, "Well he took her into his home that is in the cellar and forced her to marry him for the life of Raoul. She said she'd marry the Phantom and she kissed him. But the Phantom saw that she was marrying him _just _because that would save her lover and he let her go. Tragic, really." "Does he still live there?" Merci asked? "No one knows," He replied, "Maybe he does maybe he doesn't." Merci pondered what it would be like to live in the basement of the Opera House. _Is it beautiful? Is it exciting? Is it scary? Maybe tomorrow I could go down there and see if he's still around. _She thought. Soon, they arrived home. Tomorrow, she would go to the basement of the Opera House and see if he is still there.

Merci awoke at the stroke of dawn, she was so excited about today, and a little scared. What if she found the Opera Ghost? What would she say to him? Would he imprison her? Well, she would figure that out soon enough. Her maids helped her get dressed and she went downstairs to eat.

When they arrived at the Opera House, Merci hid out in the back stage area. They were reassuring an Opera so she thought they were far too busy to notice her. After about 30 minutes she slipped out of there and down the hall where she found the secret door to the basement.

It was about the sixth step she took when she felt the grown slip from her feet. She felt herself fall about ten feet then she hit the ground with a smash. She groaned and looked up to find herself in a room full of mirrors. She ran around the room trying to find and exit, but she just kept running into mirrors. She tripped over a skeliton on the ground, she knew she was going to die. "Help!" Merci screamed, "Help!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I have no idea where this is going. I have about five different versions of this chapter in my documents. However, I liked this one the most so, without further ado, I give you the second chapter.**

"Help! Help!" Erik heard a distressed voice call. _Must be another fool wanting to laugh at yours truly, _He thought. Erik hurried towards the outside of the torture chamber, ready to lay eyes on the fiend. He opened a little window that viewed into the room full of mirrors. There a girl about 20 with long black hair and beautiful features lay on the floor, sobbing.

"Why have you come here?" The Phantom yelled. She leaped up in surprise and looked around. "Where are you?" She called out. He ignored the girl. "Why have you come here?" He said again. "I-I was looking for the Opera Ghost," She said, "I was curious to see if he was still here… alive."

_Looking for the Opera Ghost? Looking for me? Why would she want to know why I was here? To turn me into the police?_

"Sir, please, let me out. I'll do anything!" She said calmly.

_Should I let her out? _He pondered, _If I let her go back to the light she might tell everyone where I am, but if I keep her here to stay with me for… I don't know until I die? _

"I will free you," He said. Erik opened the door to the torture chamber, the girl fled out as fast as she could. Erik grabbed her arm very tight, "Don't think you can go tell everyone," He said, "If you do, terrible things will happen to you." "Yes, monsieur," She said quietly. "Fallow me," The Opera Ghost exclaimed, "I will lead you up to the surface."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, _Was all Erik could think after he let the poor girl go. He spent most of his days in paranoia that she might have told someone. Eventually he started to secret fallow her around just to make sure she was not giving any hints.

There was something about her that was so… charming. Was it the kindness she gave to everybody? Was it how trust worthy she was, keeping every little secret? He had to talk to her. Nevertheless, how? The masquerade is in a few weeks. Maybe there they could talk.

The hours went by in pure tediousness; there was _nothing_ at all that could satisfy his boredom. He sat down to play his organ occasionally, wrote music, but it just was not the same. No one would hear it. He had no one to listen to him play. No one to write it for. He needed someone, anyone. Then again, who would befriend a murderous monster like him?

_Merci, _The name rang in his head, _Merci._


End file.
